An active substance that has been known for 30 years could unexpectedly turn into a ray of hope against eye tumors. This is shown by a new study. The plant leaves of which contain the tested substance is anything but rare: At Christmas time you can find it in every well-assorted garden center.

As an organism grows and responds to its environment, genes in its cells are constantly turning on and off, with different patterns of gene expression in different cells. But can changes in gene expression be passed on from parents to their children and subsequent generations? Researchers have now demonstrated that epigenetic information carried by parental sperm chromosomes can cause changes in gene expression and development in the offspring.

Water is a source of concern for disseminating the bacteria Legionella pneumophila and Mycobacterium avium, which cause lung disease (legionellosis and pulmonary nontuberculous mycobacterium disease, respectively). A new study has examined the presence of these microbes in tap water from residences and office buildings across the United States.

Skin diseases are ranked as the fourth most common cause of human illness, but many affected people do not consult a physician. A new study estimates the prevalence of skin diseases outside the typical medical setting.

Previous studies have revealed a link between hot tea drinking and risk of esophageal cancer, but until now, no study has examined this association using prospectively and objectively measured tea drinking temperature. A new study achieved this by following 50,045 individuals aged 40 to 75 years for a median of 10 years.

We all know the feeling of a mobile phone vibrating in our hands. We perceive these vibrations so clearly thanks to specialized receptors that transduce them into neural signals sent to our brain. But how does the latter encode their physical characteristics? Neuroscientists have discovered that feeling a phone vibrate or hearing it ring is ultimately based on the same brain codes.

An international team has shown how the Salmonella protein RamR senses bile acids present in the gut, leading to the activation of a multidrug efflux system that helps bacterial cells to get rid of toxins. This system helps the bacteria to survive and colonize this habitat despite harsh conditions. These findings could form the basis for new therapeutic approaches aimed at combating bacterial infection.